House's Heart
by partypantscuddy
Summary: My Christmas present to my dear friend paramorefreak24.  -


_Merry Christmas Kate. xoxo - Syd_

* * *

><p>"Damn Cuddy, you're terrible at this."<p>

"Shut up _Gregory_."

He flinched, hating the sound of his first name coming from her. He was so accustomed to hearing her call him by his sir name that being called anything else sounded foreign.

"Look _Lisa_, if you call me Gregory one more time, I'm going to have to teach you a lesson." He replied stepping behind her and covering her hands over the golf club. She leaned into him and he smirked. Less than three months of dating and they were already this comfortable with each other.

They had met in their endocrinology class. She had immediately gotten his attention from the moment she had entered the room. There was something about the way she held her head up high, such an air of maturity for someone as young as she. She was only eighteen, but the only way a person would be able to decipher that was if they asked her. She had the maturity of someone in their mid twenties and her body was definitely one that looked the age.

In all honesty she had to be the best looking woman he had ever seen; and he had seen a lot of them. He was known as the womanizer on campus, always with a different girl but never sticking with one. Until he had met her. The vivaciously intelligent, eighteen year old Lisa Cuddy had been the one to tame him, something he had never thought imaginable.

"I'd love to be taught a lesson by you. The great _Gregory_ House."

"Alright that's it."

He spun her around, causing her to scream and pinned her against his chest.

"Call me that one more time Cuddy..."

He looked down at her, giving her his best death glare, only to be met by a defiance in her startling grey eyes.

"_Gregory._"

He shook his head before catching her off guard and kissing her, hard. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, and sliding his hands down to her waist as she let out a soft moan.

"Well then... What a _great _lesson..." She said flustered, her cheeks a light shade of pink, something that House had noticed was a rarity.

"Next time, it'll be much worse." He threatened, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Can't wait."

"Okay now, let's see if I can show you how to actually hit a plastic golf ball into the hole without going over the strokes."

"Shut up."

They were currently at a miniture indoor Golf course on one of their many nights out. It was the just a few days from Christmas and neither had chosen to go home for the break, intent on spending it together.

House resumed his previous position behind her, his hands over hers once more as he attempted to show her how to properly hit the ball.

"You bring your arm back, and when you bring it forward, you're hitting it with a medium amount of strength. Not too hard, but not too lightly. If you hit it too hard, it'll roll right over the hole. If you hit it too lightly, it won't even go that far."

He pulled their arms back before flinging them forward and watching as the ball rolled down the course and straight into the hole.

"Got it?"

"Yes, I got it, Mr.I'm-perfect-and-I-do-everything-right-on-the-first-try." She replied teasingly.

"Well you got half of that right. I'm not pefect, but you're right. I do everything right on the first time."

"You're perfect to me."

He couldn't find a way to respond, something that was almost as rare as when he made her blush. To know that she thought he was perfect, when in fact he was far from it, it made him feel as though his life were going to turn around soon, as though she were the person to make everything better for him.

They went onto the next hole, House shaking his head as it took Cuddy over six strokes to finally get the ball where it should go.

"Don't shake your head like that. I know I'm terrible at this House, I don't need you to remind me."

"Sorry." He replied.

* * *

><p>Cuddy jumped when she felt something hit her in the back. Turning around she glared at House as he prepared to throw another snow ball at her. They were taking a short cut through the park back to his place and she was now regretting doing so. The park was a winter wonderland, the snow being completely untouched, an obvious temptation for someone like House. At twenty – five, he had the maturity of a ten year old at times, and this was one of those times.<p>

Another snow ball hit her and she bent down, scooping a handful of snow in her own gloved hands and lodging it at him, and hitting him square in the chest.

"Oh it's on Cuddles. This means war."

The only thing she could do was run as House tried to hit her with a series of snow balls. She couldn't help but laugh as he chased after her. She stopped a few times to throw a few snow balls of her own, sucessfully hitting him three out of five times. She screamed when she felt him wrap his arms around her and lift her into his arms.

"Put me down!"

"No."

"Put me down House!"

"No way."

The struggle that ensued somehow ended with them on the ground, House's arms tight around her waist.

"I give up. You never play fair." She mumbled resting her forehead against his chest.  
>"You're just a sore loser."<p>

"I am not. You're just a sore winner."

"Am not."

"Shut up." She smiled before pressing her lips against his and kissing him gently.

"I love you." She said softly, bringing her hand up to his cheek and caressing it.

It was the first time she had said it to anyone. She had had a few boyfriends in the past, but she had never felt for them what she felt for House. He made her happy. He could be self centered and obnoxious and sometimes he made her so mad that she would end up in tears, but that didn't matter to her. He made her feel beautiful. He gave her his unyeilding attention, whether it be when he was harassing her, or when they layed in bed together doing nothing but talking the night away. He challenged her and that was something she needed in a partner.

"Hm, well then Cuddles, for your information, the feeling is mutual."

"You love me too? Don't lie to me." She said incredulously. "I won't believe you until I hear the words leave your mouth."

She watched as he shook his head, rolling his eyes at her before speaking.

"Lisa Cuddy, I love you." He shouted.

"Why are you yelling?"

"So that there are people besides you who hear it incase you say you don't believe it I have witnesses who heard me shout it at the top of my lungs."

"Promise me something."

"What?"

"Promise me that you'll always be mine. No matter what happens. Your heart is mine."

"Why? Is my shouting my declaration of love for you not enough?" He replied teasingly.

"Please, just do it."

"Fine. I promise you that no matter what happens, my heart is yours. Now you say the same thing, only thing you have to mention your ass too." His hands moved down to her ass, giving it a firm squeeze.

She let out a soft laugh before resting her head against his chest once more.

"I promise you that no matter what happens, my heart and ass are yours."

"That's more like it."

She felt his chin on the top of her head and closed her eyes, relishing in the moment.

"You know you can let go of me now right? We've been lying on the ground for over five minutes. You can get this clingy when we're not lying in three feet of snow."

"Shut up." She mumbled before standing. He always had to ruin a good moment. She stood, laughing as he tried to stand and ended up falling again.

"If you don't stop laughing at me, you're going to end up back on the ground beside me." He threatened before standing.

"Yeah, yeah. I think we both know where I would rather end up beside you."

"Touche."

* * *

><p>"Merry Christmas."<p>

"You didn't have to get me anything."

"Shut up and take the present."

He handed her a small wrapped box and watched as she unwrapped it, her eyes lighting up.

"House, it's gorgeous..."

"Hand it back over so I can put it on you."

He took the necklace from her and pulled her into his lap as she moved her hair away from the back of her neck. He got the silver chain around her neck before clasping it together.

"I love it." She said when he was finished, wrapping her arms around his neck and embracing him.

House slinked his arms around her waist and buried his face into her hair, inhaling her scent. She smelled of apples and cinnamon, a scent he had gotten to know so well over the last three months.

When they pulled apart, he looked down at her and couldn't help but smile. He could see that she really did love the necklace. It wasn't something extravagent. It was simple, her birthstone Garnet in the form of a heart encrusted with three small diamonds ontop of the curve. Something that was not commonly given as a gift to people, other's always opting to go for something more grand. Sometimes it was the little things that made the biggest difference.

She handed him the box containing his present and sat back and watched as he opened it.

"Seriously Cuddles? This is too much. I don't deserve this."

"House, you deserve that and more."

She smiled as she watched him examine the silver Rolex she had bought him. It wasn't like her to usually spend an excessive amount of money on people for Christmas, but this time it was different. House was someone who was worth spending it on. She had honestly not expected anything from him in return, but when he handed her the necklace she had been exberant. It was something that she was sure meant a good thing for them. She knew he was not one to give presents to people, and the fact that he had gotten her something meant a lot.

"Yeah, well thanks..." He said looking up at her with genuine appreciation etched into his features.

"You're welcome." She replied before scooting over next to him and kissing him gently.

* * *

><p>House studied Cuddy's small form in darkness with the help of the slit of moonlight shining through the window. She was turned to her side, facing him, the heart shaped pendant he had given her hanging from her neck. Her features were calm and relaxed, so unlike their appearance in the times when they had classes. She was always stressing about some exam or some paper that he was always telling her to calm down. She was going places, he knew she was. She was smart and so ambitious that it was no surprise to him that she had graduated so high in her class in high school. She had the potential to be an amazing doctor. He only hoped that he would be there to see it happen.<p>

His relationships with women were never long lasting. He honestly couldn't recall the last time he ad been in a relationship that had lasted longer than a week or two. They were always flings, never anything serious. He had never seen himself settling down with someone in the future until now.

She was not the one he was going to let get away. She was exactly what he needed. She challenged him with her wit, always keeping things between the two heated, never a dull moment between the pair. She wasn't a bimbo like all of the other women he had been with. She knew how to use her mind to get what she wanted and he loved that.

He ran the tips of his fingers along her cheek, stopping to caress it with his thumb. He looked down at the pendant he had given her. She didn't know it, but he had not given her her birthstone in the form of a heart; he had really given her his heart in the form of something that he knew she would cherish forever. The pendant was his way of showing her that he and his heart were, and always would be hers.


End file.
